Dr. Linton Wells has more than twenty years of senior civilian leadership experience with the U.S. government in national security affairs, including service as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration and Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Information Officer (CIO). Other senior positions have been related to Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I), and the interface between decision-making and technology. As Assistant Secretary (acting) and DoD CIO he oversaw the Defense Department’s $30 billion budget for information technology and related areas and was responsible for enhancing the Department’s networked capabilities and support structures. From 2010 to 2014 he led the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University, taught courses on wicked problems and complex decision-making, and emphasized civil-military relations such as the STAR-TIDES network for sharing sustainable solutions. He is now the Managing Partner of Wells Analytics LLC, linking technology, strategy and decision-making.
During 26 years as a naval officer, he served in a variety of surface ships, including command of a destroyer squadron and guided missile destroyer. He holds a BS in Physics and Oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy, a MSE in Mathematical Sciences and a Ph.D. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Wells was the first U.S. naval officer to attend the Japanese National Institute for Defense Studies in Tokyo. He received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service from the Johns Hopkins University and thrice was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
